


The Irish Setter

by LegoLock



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: AU, Dog Walking, Dogs, First Meetings, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-15
Updated: 2015-06-15
Packaged: 2018-04-04 12:12:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4137048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegoLock/pseuds/LegoLock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Watson walks to the dog park everyday with his ex-bomb detection dog...and sometimes he sees a tall man with a beautiful red dog...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Irish Setter

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prize for that-slash-girl-15 from my 150 followers giveaway on tumblr! Thanks for waiting dear!

John Watson made his way down the street, cane clicking on the pavement, sipping his coffee as he went. It was a typical early morning, bit foggy and gloomy, but quiet. The shops were just starting to open as he passed them. John greeted a few of the early morning openers, as he always did, on his way by. Most offered him greetings and smiles, but more of those greetings and smiles went tright to Piper, John's three-legged Belgian Malinois.

Piper had been John's bomb detection dog in the army and it was no secret that the dog had lost his right foreleg in action. But it wasn't in an explosion, it was an ambush. John's squad had walked right into a trap, somehow, John got separated and pinned down behind a low wall. He'd been shot and his companions couldn't get to him...the enemy could. But Piper had held them off, at great cost. He'd lost a limb and John had nearly died. It was only natural for John to take Piper when he was discharged.

Now, he and Piper were 'The Veterans'.

Veterans of the war and veterans of the dog park a few blocks from John's flat.

It was this dog park that John and Piper were trekking to, as they had done every morning since they'd discovered it. John limped along, with Piper padding at his side. No leash, no constant commands. Just old friends making their way to their favourite place.

Piper's tail wagged happily as he panted at John's side, barking as they rounded the last corner to the park. Already at the gate, John could see his usual early morning companion. Mike Stamford...and his two Corgi's eagerly barking greetings to Piper.

John looked down to see two brown eyes blinking up at him, asking for permission.

“Go on, Pipe.” John gestured and Piper eagerly ran to greet the other dogs as Mike held the gate open for him.

“Morning.” Mike greeted John as their dogs took off into the park. John smiled and limped his way in, heading for their bench to watch the dogs play. “No sign of _you know who_.”

“You're not still on about that bloke, are you?” John shook his head as he settled with Mike, watching Piper eagerly bouncing through the grassy dog park.

“And what else should I be on about? It's not often we get newcomers that posh in this park.”

John rolled his eyes, of course Mike would still be on about that.  _That_ was a tall, dark haired, bright eyed man with a long coat and a beautiful Irish Setter. They had come to the park a few days ago, no one had ever seen them before. They looked like they belonged in the Westminster Dog Show. The dog was so red it practically glowed and the owner...well...he wasn't hard on the eyes. The dog had played well with the others, but the owner had settled away to himself and simply texted the whole time. He gave off a bit of an anti-social vibe, but John had probably stared just a little too long in the fellow's direction.

“Yeah, well, he was probably just stopping in after a dog show.” John muttered as he sipped his coffee again and watched Piper bolt by the gate, with the Corgi's in tow...and behind the chain link fence was a beautiful Irish Setter...

John's eyes locked on the dog, following it up to the tall, handsome, fellow holding the leash.

“A dog show, eh?”

“Shut up!”

The willowy man eased the gate open with grace, as if it were a regal task to open a gate, his beautiful dog trailing behind his long black coat. If the dog were white instead of red, John would have likened his movements to a ghost. He floated.

His owner cast a look around, his striking eyes lingering on John, before he leaned down to unfasten the leash from the collar. He nodded silently to some silent request and the dog turned, padding away to socialize with the other dogs in the park (at they were just Piper and the Corgis). The tall man watched a moment, then moved to a bench. He sat like a perfect gentleman, straight shoulders and chin held high, crossing one leg over the other as he pulled his phone out and began tapping away at his phone. John watched him, unable to help it. He wasn't a regular. He was posh.

John finally turned his eyes away when Mike cleared his throat and smirked. He didn't humour his friend with a reply, blushing wildly.

“Not a word.”

Mike held up his hands in mock defence and turned his eyes back to the dogs. The small pack of dogs romped, the Irish Setter happily playing with Piper. Piper's tail wagged faster and faster the more they played. John couldn't help but smile.

“I rather think Pipe favours that one.” John sighed, “Shame he'd not here more often...not that your dogs don't make him happy--”

Mike held up his hand, “Nah, you're right. That dog's more his size...makes sense he'd enjoy having a similar sized mate to tussle with.”

John nodded, watching the Irish Setter bounce by Piper, then race away. Piper eagerly followed, not the least bit hampered by his missing leg, or at least not enough to be noticeable. The dogs raced by the posh gentleman, making him look up. His bright eyes lingering on the pair, John thought he saw a ghost of a smile at his pale lips, before his eyes turned back to his phone.

The Irish Setter and Piper raced by John and Mike, but Piper stopped and turned back to John. He was panting and looked positively blissful, making his way over to John with a happy wiggle. John greeted the dog with affectionate pats to his sides, rubbing him vigorously as his tail practically span out of control. The Irish Setter trotted up, similarly wiggly and sniffing John. He seemed to think John smelled fine, because he flopped down and rolled over, tail wagging.

How could John refuse? He reached down and rubbed the dog's belly, revelling in the thick fur that was silky smooth to the touch. Both dogs were quite pleased, getting pats and rubs. John was happy to give them.

“Cute, aren't they?”

John's heartbeat raced at the deep, calm, voice that suddenly emitted from his left. He looked up, his eyes locking with bright blazing blue ones. John resisted the urge to let his jaw drop, how had the posh fellow moved so silently? He was almost halfway across the park only a few seconds prior to John petting the dogs. Now he was barely a few feet away.

Next to him, Mike was beaming. John could feel his friend's eyes on him. He could feel the intent behind the stare. “Looks like I should...clean something over there...” Mike murmured.

John could curse the man for leaving him alone with the handsome stranger and his dog. He could, but his eyes were still locked with the posh stranger. Who hummed and walked to occupy the space Mike had been sitting in only moments before. Mike was pretending to do something on the other side of the park, but John could tell he was staring.

“Fitting that the army let you take him.”

John did gape this time, watching the stranger reach over to pat Piper, who eagerly started to sniff this new fellow, all but wiggling his way into the man's lap.

“How'd...you know that...?”

The stranger indicated Piper's collar, “Most dog tags aren't embedded in the collar. They jingle as the dog walks. A dog with three legs and no jingling tags...” He hummed, his lips curling into a small smile, “Granted, he could have hand an accident and you could have a thing about jingling tags, but it's statically more likely that he's a military dog.”

John was staring outright, not sure if he should be concerned or amazed.

“Again, you could be anything...a baker or a tailor...but given that you have a limp and a bad shoulder...and your dog is missing a leg and the jingling tags. It all points to army. Bomb detection, but I'd say that's not how he lost the leg. Bit of a hard task to stay alive when a bomb goes off.”

For a moment, John just stared. The stranger stared back.

“That was...” The posh man tensed, almost looking like he expected bad news. “...amazing.”

The shaggy haired fellow seemed, confused a moment, then pleased. “You think so?” John nodded. “Did I miss anything?”John shook his head.

The stranger hesitated, then offered a hand for John to shake. “Sherlock Holmes.”

John took it with a smile, “John Watson.” He looked at the dogs once more, “What's a bloke like you doing in a park like this?”

“Oh, I don't live far from here.”

“Really? I never see you around often...I mean--”

Sherlock smiled, “So you noticed my absence?” John just blushed a bit, “I come as often as I can, casework usually keeps us busy, right Redbeard?” The Irish Setter barked in response, letting Sherlock ruffle his fur playfully.

“Casework?”

“I'm a consulting detective.” Sherlock shrugged, “So...solving crimes, you know...” He seemed to be holding back, John could only imagine how often he'd been told to shut up. He seemed the sort.

“Sounds exciting.” John prompted, watching Sherlock practically light up.

“Really? You think so?” Sherlock gave him a thoughtful look, “Why don't I tell you more about it over breakfast? I know this cafe that allows dogs...”

 


End file.
